Photographer Who Blackmailed Diaz For Topless Pictures Loses Court Appeal
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
John Rutter, the photographer who clicked topless photos of Cameron Diaz when she was 19 and tried to force her into buying them back for $3.5 million after she became a well known actress, lost an appeal Monday challenging his conviction.
In 2005, Rutter was convicted of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury relating to the topless photos and is presently in jail for nearly a four-year sentence.
A three-justice panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled out Rutter's demands that the conviction should not be executed since it was based on errors in his trial.
The AP reports that at the time when the topless pictures were taken, Diaz was a 19-year-old aspiring model in 1992. In some of the pictures, she was shot wearing leather boots and fishnet stockings. The pictures that were published in European magazines showed her wearing a top and black vest.
However, the topless photos have never been published, and a judge has prohibited Rutter from releasing either them or a video of the shoot.
During his two-week trial, the photographer confessed that he gave Diaz two days to pay him $3.5 million for the photos or else he would sell them to a list of buyers in the wake of a campaign timed to coincide with the 2003 release of her film "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
Labels: Cameron Diaz
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Michael Jackson Sues Former Lawyers
Michael Jackson is charging his former attorneys for conspiracy to have him put into involuntary bankruptcy.
In the papers, Jackson accused former attorneys Ayscough and Marar of "approaching other lawyers" who represented Jackson "in an effort to get such lawyers to join [with them] in forcing Jackson into involuntary bankruptcy ..."
Jackson also cited claims that former attorney Brent Ayscough threatened to leak confidential information about him to the press, broke rules of professional conduct and committed acts of negligence and malpractice.
A month earlier, Ayscough sued Jackson $216,000 in back fees.
Ayscough also revealed many of Jackson's debts that were printed by the media.
According to sources, Jackson financial concerns are are precarious, with his annual royalty income from his hit songs totaling to $7 million or $3.5 million after taxes.
Labels: Michael Jackson
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at 1:25 PM
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Victoria Beckham: "No More Babies For A While"
Victoria Beckham has rubbished reports she is trying for a baby with football star husband David, insisting she wants to wait at least a year before considering a new addition to the brood.
And although she loves the idea of a little girl, she wants to concentrate on her new-found career in fashion first.
She says, "I would love to have more children, maybe not for a year or so because I'm enjoying the three I've got - and it's hard work."
Labels: Victoria Beckham
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Madonna Says Adoption Plan In Line With Law
Madonna on Tuesday defended her plans to adopt a 13-month-old Malawian baby. The singer said she had respected "the law like anyone else who adopts a child."
A BBC report quotes her as saying, she wanted to "open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death". The little David Banda, who was shown in TV footage, flew from into London from Johannesburg with one of Madonna's bodyguards and a personal aide.
The singer was speaking after a group of Malawian charities called her adoption plan an "illegal" move on Monday. The group vowed to seek a court injunction to halt the adoption process.
The group, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), said the adoption of Banda did not respect local laws. The singer has not lived in the African country and therefore is not qualified to adopt the child, the group said.
Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie had their adoption file approved by an interim court order last week. The couple traveled to Britain over the weekend after a 10-day visit to Malawi.
Madonna and her husband have been involved in the fight against poverty and AIDS in the southern African country. Madonna has also pledged nearly $3 million to support 900,000 orphans in Malawi.
Labels: Madonna
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Embarrassed Tara Reid
Thursday, October 12, 2006
In an interview released on Wednesday, Tara Reid told the "Us Weekly" she had surgery last month to reduce the scarring on her breasts and to even out her stomach after cosmetic surgery in 2004.
Reid unwittingly exposed the disastrous results when she posed for pictures at a November 2004 party and her dress strap fell down.
"I was on Web sites as having the ugliest boob job in the world. I was devastated," Reid told the magazine.
Reid said the surgery hurt her professionally and personally.
"Guys I was dating would be like, 'What's wrong with them? They look really bad. You know, you should really get them fixed.' So embarrassing, I mean, you definitely had to turn off the lights. And then there was my stomach."
Reid said she had liposuction on her stomach at the same time because she wanted "a six pack."
"But it went all wrong. My stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing."
She told Us Weekly it took her two years to regain her confidence and trust another cosmetic surgeon to sort out the problems.
"I couldn't wear a bikini. I lost a lot of work. I lost my confidence," she said. "This was a nightmare I lived through."
Labels: Tara Reid
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Out & About: Nicole Richie
...with new boyfriend.
Source:
01Labels: Nicole Richie
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Jolie Vehicle Knocks Down Teen Biker
A car carrying Angelina Jolie knocked down a teenage motorbiker in Pune, India on Wednesday night.
Jolie was sitting reading in the backseat of the Toyota Qualis when it collided with 19-year-old Mittal Rawat as her driver was attempting to escape pursuing paparazzi.
Luckily Rawat escaped with only minor bruises, but reported the incident to local police after the driver continued driving and did not stop to check if he was hurt.
Rawat tells the Indian Express newspaper, "Two vehicles were also proceeding in the same direction and tried to overtake me. One of the vehicles brushed against my motorcycle and I fell down. Both the vehicles sped away without stopping."
Senior police inspector Govind Pawar says the driver may be charged with rash and negligent driving, adding, "It is a serious offence and the driver can be arrested if found guilty."
Source: 01 02
Labels: Angelina Jolie
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Anna Nicole's Attorney Quits, Citing Disagreement
Michael Scott, Anna Nicole Smith's lead attorney in the Bahamas has quit as a counsel for the former Playboy model whose 20-year-old son Daniel Smith died Sept. 10.
Scott cited disagreements on matters of strategy and concerns about her conduct and said he was unsettled by the reality TV star's decision to marry her boyfriend even before she made funeral arrangements for Daniel Smith.
Scott told the AP, "A disagreement on a commercial transaction made it difficult for us to remain as counsel."
The embalmed body of Daniel Smith is reportedly lying at a Nassau funeral home awaiting further instructions from the family.
Scott, who was also the attorney for Daniel Smith's estate told the AP that the decision to quit came Tuesday after consulting with his partners. He said he has notified Anna Nicole Smith in writing.
"It was not really an amicable parting," added Smith.
Citing disagreements with Smith's boyfriend and longtime attorney Howard K. Stern, who claims he is the father of Anna Nicole's newborn daughter. In the interview Scott said that there were "strong differences of opinion between myself and Howard over strategies."
Labels: Anna Nicole
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Angelina Jolie Slams Westerners For Barring Refugees In Open Letter
Angelina Jolie has criticized attitude of Westerners towards immigrants from troubles countries in a letter to United Nations magazine "Refugees."
Jolie says immigrants are often seen as being sub-human.
Jolie, who is currently in India with partner Brad Pitt and her three children, expressed outrage when she saw a photo of an unidentified couple relaxing on a Spanish beach while the washed-up corpse of a black man lay nearby.
The Oscar-winning actress, who is also a U.N. goodwill ambassador, writes, "We'll never know who he was or why he ended up there and the couple on the beach apparently couldn't care less."
"Someone's son, someone's brother, or someone's loved one. In fact, you or me, if we had been born at another time, or in another place. Many have also died trying to get into the United States and Australia. But we don't notice."
Jolie also comments about how her trips to Bosnia, Rwanda and Afghanistan have exposed her to the harsh realities of living in improvised nations.
She says: "I have been to some of these countries, or to their neighbors, where most of the refugees remain. It is a truly humbling experience, a shocking eye-opener."
"It has made me realize that we are all - myself included - behaving like the couple sitting under their umbrella on the beach, gazing studiously out to sea."
Labels: Angelina Jolie
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Madonna Adoption Story Yet To Be Confirmed Or Denied
After having completed her worldwide 'Confessions on a Dancefloor' tour, Madonna has yet to confirm or deny reports that she has adopted a young boy from Malawi while on her recent trip to Africa.
Madonna already has two children, daughter Lourdes, 10, and son Rocco, 6, with director-husband Guy Ritchie.
According to earlier unconfirmed reports by the Malawian government, Madonna planned to adopt a Malawian boy while she visited the impoverished African nation to tour projects she funds for AIDS orphans. Madonna's spokesperson, however, has kept mum about the adoption plans.
Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said in an e-mailed statement: "I am unable to make any official statement at this time.''
Madonna's London-based publicist, however, says an official statement regarding the adoption story will be made within 48 hours.
Labels: Madonna
Posted by becausetheysuck
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John Rutter, the photographer who clicked topless photos of Cameron Diaz when she was 19 and tried to force her into buying them back for $3.5 million after she became a well known actress, lost an appeal Monday challenging his conviction.
Victoria Beckham has rubbished reports she is trying for a baby with football star husband David, insisting she wants to wait at least a year before considering a new addition to the brood.
Madonna on Tuesday defended her plans to adopt a 13-month-old Malawian baby. The singer said she had respected "the law like anyone else who adopts a child."
Madonna already has two children, daughter Lourdes, 10, and son Rocco, 6, with director-husband Guy Ritchie.